Chapter 350 - Fallout (Patreon)

Note : Chapter 351 has been written and added to the queue !

Chapter 350

Eris Empire, Capital City of Starcore

Imperial Palace, First Empress Wing

"And here I thought our previous concerns were catastrophic." Said the Empress, as she looked out the window. Oris Lumière, sister of Cassissa Lumière and Empress of the Eris Empire, turned around to face one of her most trusted advisors...and 'problem solvers'.

"It is...concerning, but I would not say catastrophic." Said Katarak, commander of the Black Hand.

"I would. Do you know why, commander?" She smiled thinly as he shook his head. "Because I talked to engineers and industrialists. To our best and brightest. Those 'Mackies'? We cannot make them."

The silence in the Empress' private study was complete for a solid five seconds as Katarak digested the implications.

"We...cannot?" He finally said.

"No. We cannot. Oh we can make equivalent weapons, but we do not have the capacity to make them all fit together into one machine quite like this. Not this compact, not this...efficient. Not with the same technologies our dear dungeon core has used." The Empress' gaze bore into his. "And this is something we had never made. Mechs of this kind of design and battlefield role were never something our Empire tried or envisioned. They are something she couldn't have acquired from us...which means she designed them. She had to. Which has made me think...how certain are we that her technology was stolen?"

"...You're not suggesting that she just...invented all this?"

"Is it so mad? Commander, she made a war machine we cannot replicate. Do you understand? My Empire has three and a half billion souls. And. We. Can't. Make. Them." The Empress slapped the palm of her hand against the ancient oak of her desk with every sentence. "Not with the technology she's used. I have millions of engineers designing weapons, legions upon legions of technicians and brilliant scientists, and they can't do it."

Katarak swallowed, heavily.

"Your Imperial Majesty, if she has that capacity..."

"It must remain a secret. I've already given orders to that effect." The Empress smiled at his expression. "Oh I don't mean dissimulate what she's done. I mean the fact that we can't. We cannot afford show that kind of weakness. Not now. Making everyone believe we could make those war machines and she had gotten everything to make them from us will help, even. The fear and shock she has created in her little stunt will percolate down to us, make us seem more mighty in comparison. So long as we can plug the 'leak' that has gotten her that technology."

"I have...found something that might serve as a viable source for that leak."

They both knew they were talking about a suitable scapegoat, but too polite to mention it outright.

"Summarize for me."

"It mainly concerns the Sildaris Consortium." Sildaris was the main competitor to the Omega Consortium, just axed more on general technologies than pure armament and industry. "I have found proof they exported technology and resources to the Elkis Republic, and through them, Sunrise."

The Empress' eyes lit up.

"And through them and the salvage of their armies, the dungeon core. Good, very good. We need to make an example of them. On whose behalf did they do such a thing?"

"So far as I can tell, out of their own volition. If they had a patron outside of their clients, I did not find them."

"Mmmhhh. Shame. Very well, fabricate whatever proof you need to link some of our worst from the list to that mess. Then bring down the hammer. Hard. Am I understood?"

"Yes, your Imperial Majesty."

"Then, onto our...intelligence issues. We may know the Mackies' capabilities, but our information concerning the battle itself is lacking."

The commander grimaced, but didn't comment. They hadn't been watching. As far as they could tell, no one had either. Keeping both armies under constant surveillance was a massive resource drain, not to mention a dangerous endeavor. The UDC and Sunrise regularly used feedback spells to try and harm those doing the scrying, and although Rebirth had so far declined to do so, their allies weren't particularly keen on eyes in the skies either. That wasn't to mention the fact that divination magic wasn't used as some all knowing crystal ball for military commanders for a reason, namely the requirements in skill and power for doing it at such a distance. Close range was far better, but at that point you might as well use an airship mounted sensor. Same principle, and vastly easier to use.

Usually when there was a major battle there was either considerable warning or at least some opening phase. Even with the ambush the explosions had happened a good ten minutes before the dungeon core's main battle line had engaged Sunrise's. Here there had been a single burst of activity at the skirmisher screen, then an orgy of violence, and by the time they were watching there was nothing but corpses and Sunrise's skirmishers running for the safety of the main army.

At least there was enough damage to analyze and compare with their spies' reports to get an accurate picture of these mechs, especially with the previous battles that were recorded. Not to mention...other sources, who most certainly had far more accurate recordings but were being very specific about what they shared.

The UDC, after all, wanted them to be afraid of Crystal, but not show their own airships get pummeled into scrap and steaming carcasses.

"So. We need to get a direct line of information of what is happening up North." The Empress lifted one of the paperweights from her desk, and began playing with it. A small normal rock...one that, according to legend, came from Earth, worn smooth by generations of Empresses and Emperors using them.

"We could send observers and attachés." Offered the commander, and the Empress outright laughed.

"You don't believe for a single second that Allya would accept them, and I will burn in hell before I send our people to Sunrise. No, get our dear admiral to pull out of the mess she's currently in, and move North."

"Your Imperial Majesty, if she does, the UDC..."

"Is already going to start killing itself again. Or rather, try to fight its former members. Doesn't matter. They're still refitting their ships, she won't be able to stop them once they're done, can't try a pre-emptive strike without taking sides, and I have a feeling the main show is going to happen on the road to Tivaro."

"Very well, your Imperial Majesty."

"And lastly..." The Empress sighed. "I want you to see about making use of my sister. You were...correct. However stupid she was, she knows more about Allya than anyone, and our dear 'archduchess' is at the core of this mess."

"And if she...doesn't wish to help?"

The Empress looked away for a second, then sighed.

"Reasons of state trump all...even for her. If it comes down to it, I'll talk to her. Now go. There is much to be done. And there is no telling what may happen next."

"Yes, your Imperial Majesty, at once. Glory to the Empire."

The Empress looked at him, and something in her eyes...a mix of resignation, sadness and resolve that even he couldn't quite describe, but made him shudder nonetheless.

"These are dire times indeed, that my Black Hands worries about glory. Glory to the Empire, commander Katarak. For what little glory means in this day and age."

*****

"Well. I suppose we should have seen that coming." Said Alexandra as Allya finished speaking. Their little emergency meeting in the command center was impromptu and gathered just about anyone they could get on such short notice, which was them, Emilia, Pyn, Trira, Glitch and Subtlety as well as Ghost. "So she wishes for the entire New Republic to just...become part of the Asarian Kingdom?"

The archduchess coughed, almost delicately.

"She did not mention the Kingdom at all. Just me...and Rebirth."

"Ah." Alexandra crossed her legs and steepled her fingers. "I'm not going to assume that was an accidental omission on her side."

"It almost certainly wasn't." Agreed the archduchess. "So what do we do?"

"You didn't accept, did you?"

"I told her that I needed to consult with others, including their majesties. But I'm almost certain she interpreted it as meaning, well, you."

Alexandra grimaced.

"And was essentially right. What do you think? Personally, I mean."

Allya sighed.

"I...I just don't know." She sat down heavily in her one of the seats surrounding the hologram projector, Pyn wordlessly reaching out to squeeze her wife's hand, eliciting a thankful and loving smile from the archduchess, before she turned back to the rest of the room. "On the one hand, that would get Sunrise to take a step back. Might even fully hammer in the nail you planted and make them fall back altogether. On the other...what will this do to Amelia's rebellion? To those who support her? There's a big difference between fighting to liberate your country and fighting for a foreign power. Even if we say we're here to keep the Republic free, the senate will have many examples in history, including their own actions, to show against that. Amelia's people support her personally, yes, but they're patriots too. And we're not their patrie."

Alexandra grimaced at the French word for 'homeland', and the origin for the word patriot, but she nodded nonetheless.

"You have a point. Plus, as much as I hate to say it, but we've been using the general to offload all of our obsolete gear and avoid fighting a war on two fronts. I genuinely don't know if we could reinforce her even if we accepted. Our resources are limited, after all."

"We're victim of our own success in this case." Said the archduchess with a smirk. "Everyone thinks you can pull Mackies out of your hat now."

"Actually..." Everyone turned towards Glitch, who, true to her name, glitched for a bit before her hologram stabilized, and her brief burst of human style speech return to her matter of fact tone. "I have been collating the latest reports and reactions to the recent events, and there has been an anomalous increase in questions asked to our interventionist dungeon partners, at least that they have reported. Specifically, questions relating to their mana reserves and funding arrangements."

"Mana..." Alexandra's eyes went wide. "They think the other dungeons are bankrolling me?"

"I mean, none of them know we're extradimensionals." Pointed out Ghost. "And let alone that we have fabricators or been diverting airship production to make our new Mackies. Having had a huge influx of mana and dumping it into building a pile of mechs makes a lot of sense from their perspective. It's useful to us too. The more they underestimate us, the better. Even if it's only on the industrial side, since the responses to our actual military capabilities..."

"They have been considerable." Finished Subtlety. "I have taken the liberty to collate some of the reactions our golems and ships recorded among the army alone. The number of golem cultists had augmented by thirty eight percent in twenty four hours, and attendance to their shrines has quadrupled. I have also observed considerably higher spirits among the troops in general, an all time low number of incidents related to insubordination according to various non commissioned officers, and a vastly increased rate of enlistment among the Kaidani volunteers by the civilians following the army."

"In short, they believe we're going to win again." Said Alexandra.

"They're not the only ones." Said Emilia, speaking up for the first time. "The reaction back home..." The vampire winced. "I've been bombarded with questions and messages all day. I haven't even had the time to look at most of them. But the reaction seems to be shock as well. The Mackies destroyed an entire squadron of UDC warships, the same ships that fought and won the United Dungeon Wars. People are losing their mind over this. The fact that the first Mackie almost shot down a core carrier as well..."

"It only took out the wards and disrupted the point defence."

"The truth doesn't matter Alex. Only people's perceptions of us. And right now it looks like the Mackies are unstoppable mecha-colossi of doom. They'll calm down eventually, but..."

"But in the meantime, all bets are off." Completed Ghost, and silence fell upon the room.